Sing Lead
by Angie J Trifid
Summary: Eleanor teaches Theodore a trick so he can sing lead. TxE, some SxJ & AxB. Written as a birthday present for my best friend. Happy birthday Sophie!


**Sing Lead**

Theodore wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. He turned to his brothers, who smiled encouragingly.

"Let's take a break," Dave said to the manager. "We'll come back tomorrow and try again."

Theodore sighed. When they got home he headed straight for the kitchen and a large bag of potato chips, and then flopped down on the couch, eating the entire contents of the bag.

It had been Alvin's idea in the first place, after Brittany had teased him that while the Chipettes were equal, Alvin was the lead singer of the Chipmunks. So Alvin, wanting to prove her wrong, had decided that Simon and Theodore should do more singing.

Simon had been great **(A/N: that's Theo's word, huh?)** when he sang. Simon had sung lead for _Fly With Me_; _One Less Lonely Girl_; and _One Shot_. Alvin had wanted Theodore to sing _Leavin'_; _Doesn't Really Matter_; and _You Are Not Alone_. But Theodore was so nervous – he hadn't ever sung lead before and wasn't exactly sure he could. The doorbell rang.

"Boys, the Chipettes are here!" Dave called up the stairs. Theodore was right there on the couch and didn't move, but Alvin and Simon jumped half the steps in a race to get to the door first. As always, Alvin won. Simon punched him in the arm, hard.

When the others reached the door, they invited the Chipettes in.

"Hey Alvin," Brittany said. "I see you still lead your brothers."

"Only to the door," Alvin said. Brittany snorted and they both started to argue. Simon, Jeanette, Theodore and Eleanor rolled their eyes. They knew their oldest siblings well enough to know they'd just end up kissing by the end of the day. It was funny to watch, really.

Simon said something to Jeanette, who giggled and replied. Theodore could never understand those two – if they weren't using complicated words and phrases, they were chatting away in some foreign language. Simon said it was so that Alvin and Brittany wouldn't tease them all the time. They went into another room, and Alvin chased Brittany into the back yard. Eleanor laughed and joined Theodore on the couch, flipping the channel over to Sports Central.

"Those four are so funny," she chuckled.

"I can never understand them." Theodore muttered, sitting up and scrunching the packet he'd finished eating. Eleanor grabbed it and threw a perfect shot; it bounced off a photo of them all in Athens and landed in the bin.

"Who?" she asked. "Alvin and Brittany confuse me."

"Some people fight when they're in love," Theodore shrugged. "You told me that, remember? No, it's Simon and Jeanette. I just don't understand all these foreign languages."

"They're talking in Spanish today," Eleanor said. Theodore stared at her. "I got Jeanette to teach me some of the languages they're always talking in. It's really sweet, actually."

"What…?"

"Simon called Jeannie his _hermoso querida_."

"I still don't understand."

"It means _beautiful mistress_. You know what she said back?" Theodore shook his head. "She called him a _dulce caballero_."

Theodore's face was still blank.

"_Sweet gentleman_, Theodore."

"Oh," Theodore stared blankly at the television. Apart from being upset about being too nervous to sing the lead, Theodore felt lonely. Even watching Alvin and Brittany he felt lonely, because at least _they_ were together sometimes.

"What's wrong?" Eleanor said during the soccer half-time. "You look upset."

"Alvin wants me to sing lead."

"That's nice," Eleanor smiled. Theodore shook his head. "I can't. I'm too nervous," he said.

"Don't worry about it. I'll teach you a trick." Eleanor shifted so she was sitting on the couch facing Theodore. "Look at your hands." He did. "Focus on your breathing. Imagine your hands are glowing. Imagine the light is travelling up your arms. As it reaches your shoulders it goes through your entire body. This light then shrinks into a small point in your throat to make your voice stronger. Go on, sing something."

"Um…" Theodore had been trying what Eleanor had said. He sang a single note until his face was almost purple and his voice was strong. Eleanor smiled and hugged him.

"See? You'll do fine."

"How did you come up with that?" Theodore asked.

"I combined two different techniques. There's one kid's thing for making you feel better and one thing to make you more confident with singing." Eleanor replied.

*****The Next Day*****

"Think you can do better this time?" Alvin teased.

"Definitely!" Theodore piped up. He'd been practising the trick Eleanor had taught him. "But can I pick a song for myself?"

"Sure," the producer said.

_Bashee playing magician sitting lotus on the floor_

_Belly dancing beauty with a power driven saw_

_Had my share of nightmares, didn't think there could be much more_

_then in walked Rodrick Usher with the Lady Eleanor_

_She tied my eyes with ribbon of a silken ghostly thread_

_I gazed with trouble vision on an old four poster bed_

_Where Eleanor had risen to kiss the neck below my head_

_and bid me come along with her to the land of the dancing dead_

_But it's all right, Lady Eleanor _

_All right, Lady Eleanor_

_I'm all right where I am_

_She gazed with loving beauty like a mother to a son_

_like living, dying, seeing, being all rolled into one_

_Then all at once I heard some music playing in my bones_

_the same old song I'd heard for years, reminding me of home_

_But it's all right, Lady Eleanor _

_All right, Lady Eleanor_

_I'm all right where I am_

_Then creeping on towards me, licking lips with tongues of fire_

_a host of golden demons screaming lust and base desire_

_and when it seemed for certain that the screams could get no higher _

_I heard a voice above the rest screaming 'You're liar'_

_But it's all right, Lady Eleanor _

_All right, Lady Eleanor_

_I'm all right here in your arms_

"Why did you sing that?" Alvin asked.

"Lady Eleanor by Lindisfarne?" Simon asked.

"I wanted to dedicate it to a very good friend," Theodore said. They left the recording room and the song he'd just recorded was playing through the speakers. In three waiting seats were – the Chipettes! The boys rushed up to them, and the girls smiled in greeting. Eleanor hugged Theodore.

"That was brilliant!" she exclaimed.

"Thanks," Theodore said, hugging him back. "And of course it was great. It was you who inspired me."

Eleanor smiled and kissed Theodore on the cheek. He blushed and they watched their siblings.

Alvin and Brittany were kissing already; Simon and Jeanette were talking in accents that made them sound like mad scientists.

"Du bist der beste," Simon said. Eleanor translated:

"You're the best," she whispered.

"Ich liebe dich," Jeanette said, hugging Simon.

"Aw, that's so sweet!" Eleanor gasped.

"Are they talking in German?" Theodore asked; Ellie nodded. "What did she say? In English?"

"She said _I love you_," Eleanor whispered. Theodore smiled slightly, turning to Eleanor.

"Ich liebe dich," he said, and kissed her lightly.


End file.
